Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dami on Saturday said the issue of urban drainage has become a major challenge due to the rapid urbanization of his state and called for the development of a special program at the national level to address the issue.
At the 10th governing council of Niti Ayog, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Dami requested the inclusion of lift irrigation in the guidelines of “Prime Minister Sinchaiyi Yojana”.
The Prime Minister said he “emphasized” that due to the unique geographical conditions of Uttarakhand, only about 10% of the mountainous regions are currently irrigated.
Dhami has informed that special efforts are being made to conserve rainwater in Uttarakhand by linking the glacially covered river with rainwater under the “River Link Project” and building check dams and small reservoirs.
“He (Dhami) said that the rapid urbanization of the state has made urban drainage issues a serious challenge. He has called for special plans to be developed at the national level to develop sustainable urban drainage systems to address this issue,” the statement said.
At the meeting, Dami said in 2026 that Uttarakhand would hold the famous “Maananda Rajjat Yatra” also known as the Mountain Mahakamb. In 2027, Kumbh Mela will be held at Haridwar and will be asked for help in making both these events a “magnificent and divine” success.
He also highlighted the importance of the country’s “demographic dividend” in the construction of advanced India, saying that the dividend should be utilized “within a limited period.”
Dhami said that the next decade will be “very important” for Uttarakhand to earn this benefit, adding that with this in mind, his government is particularly focused on promoting self-employment at various levels in the state.
The Prime Minister emphasized that under the Prime Minister’s “dynamic leadership,” India is rapidly moving towards developing and becoming an independent nation by 2047.
“In this mission, the Uttarakhand government is also working with full determination, maintaining sound financial management and financial discipline,” he said. Over the past three years, the state economy has grown by about 1.5 times, he added.
Dhami said that a comprehensive policy has been formulated and implemented by the Uttarakhand government at a grassroots level to promote adventure tourism, ecotourism and high-end tourism in the state. Uttarakhand is focused on sustainable and inclusive development based on innovation and technology, he said. The prime minister said the geothermal energy policy will soon be implemented in the state.
